Golf club having removable weight

ABSTRACT

A golf club head includes a club head body and a weight member that is secured to the body. The weight member is constructed to utilize lateral forces to couple to the head body to minimize the structure required to retain the weight member, and the weight member is preferably constructed so that it has a low profile.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/043,052, filed on Jul. 23, 2018, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/339,797, filed onOct. 31, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,029,161, the disclosure of which areboth incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly, to golf clubheads having a removable weight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The trend of lengthening golf courses to increase their difficulty hasresulted in a high percentage of amateur golfers constantly searchingfor ways to achieve more distance from their golf shots. The golfindustry has responded by providing golf clubs specifically designedwith distance and accuracy in mind. The size of wood-type golf clubheads has generally been increased while multi-material construction andreduced wall thicknesses have been included to provide more massavailable for selective placement through the head. The discretionarymass placement has allowed the club to possess a higher moment ofinertia (MOI), which translates to a greater ability to resist twistingduring off-center ball impacts and less of a distance penalty for thoseoff-center ball impacts.

Various methods are used to selectively locate mass throughout golf clubheads, including thickening portions of the body casting itself orstrategically adding a separate weight element during the manufacture ofthe club head. An example, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,190, discloses agolf club head comprising a number of moveable weights attached to thebody of the club head. The club head includes a number of threaded portsinto which the moveable weights are screwed. Though the masscharacteristics of the golf club may be manipulated by rearranging themoveable weights, the cylindrical shape of the weights and the receivingfeatures within the golf club body necessarily moves a significantportion of the mass toward the center of the club head, which may notmaximize the peripheral weight of the club head or the MOI.

Alternative approaches for selectively locating mass in a club headutilize the incorporation of composite structures of multiple materials.These composite structures often utilize two, three, or more materials,including various metallic and non-metallic materials, that havedifferent physical properties including different densities. An exampleof this type of multi-material head is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,674.The club head comprises an arcuate portion of high-density materialbonded to a recess in the back-skirt. Because the different materialsincluded in the club head must be coupled, for example by welding,swaging, or using bonding agents such as epoxy, they may be subject todelamination or corrosion over time. This component delamination orcorrosion results in decreased performance in the golf club head and canlead to club head failure.

Though many methods of optimizing the mass properties of golf club headsexist, there remains a need in the art for a golf club head comprisingat least a removable weight having secure attachment and a low-profileso that the weight does not protrude into the center of the club headand negatively affect the location of the center of gravity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a golf club head having at leastone weight receptacle and at least one movable or removable weightmember.

In an embodiment, a golf club head includes a club head body, a weightmount and a weight member. The club head body comprises a plurality ofbody members that combine to define a hollow body. The body membersinclude a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and askirt. The sole extends aftward from a lower edge of the face, the crownextends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and the skirt extendsbetween the sole and the crown around a perimeter of the body. Theweight mount is disposed on at least one of the body members, and theweight mount defines a perimeter wall. The weight member includes aweight body defining a side wall and at least two spring features. Eachspring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extending through athickness of the weight body at a location spaced from the side wall.The weight mount is sized so that the spring features abut the perimeterwall of the weight mount. The spring features are at least partiallyflexed laterally by the abutment of the spring feature with theperimeter wall when the weight member is disposed in the weight mount.

In another embodiment, a golf club head including a club head body, aweight mount, and a weight member. The club head body comprises aplurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body. The bodymembers include a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, acrown, and a skirt. The sole extends aftward from a lower edge of theface, the crown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and theskirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of thebody. The weight mount is disposed on at least one of the body members.The weight mount is a slot extending through at least a portion of thethickness of the body member and is elongate. Sidewalls of the slot aregenerally parallel. The weight member includes a weight body, a springclip, and a locking member. The weight body includes an outer portiondisposed outward of the body member, an inner portion, and a clipportion interposed between the outer portion and the inner portion. Theinner portion extends through the slot toward in interior of the clubhead body. The spring clip is disposed on the clip portion and includesa plurality of arms separated by a flexure. The width of an outerengagement surface of the spring clip is greater than the width of theslot when the spring clip is in a free state so that the spring clip iscompressed when the weight member is installed in the slot. The lockingmember extends through the outer portion and into the clip portion ofthe weight body.

In another embodiment, a golf club head includes a club head body, aweight mount and a weight member. The club head body comprising aplurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body. The bodymembers include a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, acrown, and a skirt. The sole extends aftward from a lower edge of theface, the crown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and theskirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of thebody. The weight mount disposed on at least one of the body members. Theweight mount is a spring clamp that includes at least one flexible arm.The spring clamp defines an opening that is at least partially definedby the flexible arm. The flexible arm includes a fixed end and a freeend, the fixed end is fixedly coupled to the body member, and the freeend is movable between an opened position and a closed position. Theweight member that includes a weight body, and the weight body includesa clamp portion that is disposed in the opening of the spring clamp. Theflexible arm forcibly abuts the clamp portion when the free end is inthe closed position. The spring clamp is in an always on configurationso that it is naturally clamped on the weight member in the slot.

In a further embodiment, a golf club head including a weight member,comprising a club head body, a weight mount, and a weight member. Theclub head body comprises a plurality of body members that combine todefine a hollow body. The body members include a face defining aball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a skirt. The sole extendsaftward from a lower edge of the face, the crown extends aftward from anupper edge of the face, and the skirt extends between the sole and thecrown around a perimeter of the body. The weight mount is disposed on atleast one of the body members, and defines a perimeter wall. The weightmember includes a weight body defining a side wall and at least twospring features disposed on perpendicular portions of the side wall.Each spring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extending througha thickness of the weight body that intersects the side wall, and theaperture is parallel to a portion of the side wall. The weight mount issized so that the spring features abut the perimeter wall of the weightmount and are at least partially flexed laterally by the abutment of thespring feature with the perimeter wall when the weight member isdisposed in the weight mount.

In a still further embodiment, a golf club head including a weightmember, comprises a club head body, a plurality of weight mounts and aplurality of weight members. The club head body comprises a plurality ofbody members that combine to define a hollow body. The body membersinclude a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and askirt. The sole extends aftward from a lower edge of the face, the crownextends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and the skirt extendsbetween the sole and the crown around a perimeter of the body. Theweight mounts are disposed on at least one of the body members, and eachof the weight mounts defines a perimeter wall. Each weight memberincludes a weight body defining a side wall and at least two springfeatures disposed on perpendicular portions of the side wall. Eachspring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extending through athickness of the weight body that intersects the side wall and theaperture is parallel to a portion of the side wall. Each weight mount issized so that the spring features abut the perimeter wall of the weightmount, and the spring features are at least partially flexed laterallyby the abutment of the spring feature with the perimeter wall when theweight member is disposed in the weight mount.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a golf club head including a weight member inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a golf club head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the weight member included in the golfclub head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the weight member that may be included in thegolf club head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the weight member of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a golf club including another weight memberin accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-section of the golf club head of FIG. 6, asshown by line 8-8;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a partial cross-section of aportion of the golf club head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the weight member includedin the golf club head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the weight member includedin the golf club head of FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a bottom view of a golf club including another weight inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG.12;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 12,illustrating a weight member in an unlocked orientation;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of a portion of the golf club head of FIG. 12,illustrating a weight member in a locked orientation;

FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the weight member included in the golf clubhead of FIG. 12;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the weight member included in the golf clubhead of FIG. 12;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the weight track of FIG. 12, takenalong line 18-18.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the weightof FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of theweight of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of theweight of FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of theweight of FIG. 17;

FIG. 23 is a bottom view of a golf club head including another weightmember in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a partial cross-section view of the weight receptacle andweight member shown in FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the weightreceptacle of FIG. 23; and

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the weightreceptacle of FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Other than in the operating examples, or unless otherwise expresslyspecified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentagessuch as those for amounts of materials, moments of inertias, center ofgravity locations, loft and draft angles, and others in the followingportion of the specification may be read as if prefaced by the word“about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear with thevalue, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary,the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification andattached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon thedesired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. Atthe very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of thedoctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numericalparameter should at least be construed in light of the number ofreported significant digits and by applying ordinary roundingtechniques.

Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forththe broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspossible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certainerrors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in theirrespective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges ofvarying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that anycombination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.

Many weight structures utilize attachment mechanisms that primarilyutilize a force in the direction of an axis that is orthogonal to theouter contour of golf club head for attaching weight member to the golfclub head. According to the present invention, weight members thatprimarily utilize forces that are generally directed parallel ortangential to the outer contour of the golf club head and lateral to theweight member are described. Utilizing attachment configurations thatprimarily interact with the surrounding structure of the golf club headin parallel or tangentially to the outer contour of the golf club headreduces the amount of structure that extends toward the interior of thegolf club head that would otherwise be required to retain the weightmember.

In an aspect of the present invention, an embodiment of a weight member10, having a low profile, includes a simple clip-in type attachment thatdoes not require the use of a threaded fastener to couple the weightmember 10 to the golf club head 1. Golf club head 1 has a hollow bodiedconstruction that includes a face, a sole 4, a crown, a skirt, and ahosel that combine to define the hollow interior. As is well known inthe art, the body may be formed by numerous methods and those methodsmay be used alone or in combination, and the club head body may includecast, stamped and/or forged components that are combined together. In anexample, the head body may include a cast component including the sole,crown, skirt and hosel and a stamped face component that is welded tothe cast component. In another example, the head body may include forgedsole, crown, hosel, and face components that are welded together.

The face defines a ball-striking surface. The sole 4 extends aftwardfrom a lower edge of the face. The crown extends from an upper edge ofthe face and the skirt extends between the sole 4 and crown and aroundthe perimeter of the body. Golf club head 1 also includes a plurality ofweight attachment structures, such as weight mounts 2. Weight member 10includes a body 12, and three spring features. The spring featuresinclude two side wall spring features that are flexible arms 14 and alocking spring feature formed by a flexible locking arm 16 on anothersurface. Each flexible arm 14 is defined by an elongate aperture 15 thatextends through the thickness of body 12 and that intersects the sidewall of body 12.

The side wall spring features and locking arm 16 combine to preventrelative movement between the weight cartridge and the golf club head inthree orthogonal axes, e.g., the X, Y and Z axes, so that the weightmember is fully constrained from translation when the weight member isinstalled in a weight receptacle. In particular, the dimensions of theweight mount 2 are selected so that the portions abutting the flexiblearms are narrower than the free width of the weight member at theflexible arms. As a result of those dimensions, the flexible arms 14 andlocking arm 16 are at least partially flexed laterally and act upon thesurrounding structure of the weight mount 2 and are compressed to exertlateral force on the surrounding structure to prevent translation of theweight member 10 in every direction, i.e., in three orthogonal axes.

The weight member 10 also includes a locking mechanism that selectivelylocks the weight member 10 into the golf club head 1 at one of theweight mount 2. The locking arm 16 may include a locking tooth 18 thatprevents the weight member 10 from becoming dislodged and disengagingfrom the golf club head 1 during impact. In the illustrated embodiment,the locking arm 16 interacts with a locking feature on the weight mount2, such as a bridge member 3 that forms an undercut portion in weightmount 2. Bridge member 3 extends across a portion of the weight member10 when the weight member 10 is inserted into a weight mount 2. Lockingtooth 18 includes a tapered surface 20 that abuts and slides past bridgemember 3 when the weight member 10 is inserted into a weight mount 2.That contact forces locking arm 16 to flex so that the locking tooth 18slips past bridge member 3, which allows the weight member 10 to befully inserted into the weight mount 2. Bridge member 3 may also includea tapered abutment surface that gradually increases contact forcebetween tooth 18 and bridge member 3. The weight member 10 and weightmount 2 are dimensioned so that when the weight member 10 is fullyinserted, the tapered surface 20 of locking tooth 18 passes thecontacting portion of bridge member 3 and a ledge 22 of locking tooth 18engages a portion of bridge member 3. The engagement of the ledge 22 andbridge member 3 prevents the weight member 10 from disengaging theweight mount 2, but the weight member 10 may be removed by displacinglocking tooth 18 relative to bridge member 3 so that the locking tooth18 is able to slip past bridge member 3 to allow weight member 10 to beretracted from weight mount 2. It should be appreciated that the heightof flexible arms 14 may differ from the overall thickness of the weightmember 10. For example, an extension portion, shown by dashed portion24, may be included to increase the volume of weight member 10.Additionally, ledge 22 may be replaced with a second tapered surfacethat allows the weight member 10 to be removed without separatelyflexing locking arm 16 to disengage the locking tooth 18 from bridgemember 3. The taper of the second tapered surface is preferably steeperthan tapered surface 20.

Weight member 10 may be constructed from a single material or it mayhave a multi-material construction. For example, as shown in FIG. 4,portions of the weight body 12, shown by dashed portions 26, may includerecesses or may be constructed of a material having a different specificgravity than the remainder of the weight body to create an insert thatis heavier or lighter relative to the weight body. In embodiments havinga heavy or light insert, the insert may be joined with the weight bodyby many different methods, including mechanically fixing the insert tothe weight body by threaded engagement, and/or fasteners. Alternatively,the materials may be coupled using metallurgical joining techniques,such as welding, swaging, forging the materials together, or co-casting.

Referring to FIGS. 6-11, a golf club head 30 includes another weightsystem 32 that provides adjustability of the center of gravity of thegolf club head and that is disposed on a body member. The weight system32 includes weight member 34 and a weight mount in the form of slot 31extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the bodymember. Weight member 34 is assembled from a weight body 36, a springclip 38, a locking member 40, and an optional weight slug 42. Weightmember 34 is installed in slot 31, slides along edges of slot 31, and isconfigured to naturally seat in detent recesses 44 that are included inthe edges of slot 31. Preferably, weight member 34 provides an audibleand/or tactile “click” when it seats in each of the detent recesses 44included in slot 31.

Weight body 36 provides the primary source for mass in weight member 34,while providing a frame for supporting spring clip 38. In particular,the weight body 36 includes an outer portion 46 that resides outside ofslot 31 when weight member 34 is installed, a clip portion 48 thatreceives spring clip 38 and resides in slot 31 when weight member 34 isinstalled, and an inner portion 50 that is sized to extend through slot31. In the illustrated embodiment, outer portion 46 is a generallycylindrical portion of the weight body 36. Preferably, the outer portionhas an outer dimension that prevents it from being inserted into slot31, so that it limits the insertion of the weight body 36 into slot 31.It should be appreciated that the outer portion 46 need not becylindrical, and the shape and size of the outer portion 46 may bealtered to alter the overall mass of the weight body 36 and weightmember 34. Outer portion 46 also includes a locking member mount 52,such as a bore that receives locking member 40 and that extends intoclip portion 48. For example, locking member mount 52 may be a threadedbore that threads with a locking member 40 that includes a threadedportion. As a further alternative, outer portion 46 may have amulti-material construction so that the mass of weight body 36 may bealtered, such as by replacing a portion of the outer portion 46indicated by dashed area 57 with a component constructed of a materialhaving a different specific gravity than the material of weight body 36.

The clip portion 48 and inner portion 50 extend from outer portion 46.Clip portion 48 is interposed between outer portion 46 and inner portion50 of weight body 36 and provides a mounting structure for spring clip38 on weight body 36. In particular, clip portion 48 includes slots 54on opposite sides of the weight body 36. Spring clip 38 is disposed onweight body in clip portion 48 so that a portion spring clip 38 residesin slots 54. The configuration of slots 54 results in outer portion 46and inner portion 50 creating shoulders that straddle spring clip 38 andretain it in the direction of a longitudinal axis of weight body 36.Slots 54 extend through the side wall of the clip portion 48 so that aportion of the spring clip 38 intersects the bore that forms the lockingmember mount 52 when spring clip 38 is installed on weight body 36.

Inner portion 50 extends away from outer portion 46 and clip portion 48and is sized so that it may extend through slot 31. In the illustratedembodiment, inner portion 50 is generally an annular cylindrical bodythat has an outer diameter that is smaller than the width of the openingof slot 31. It should be appreciated that inner portion 50 may includeparts that have an outer dimension that is greater than the opening ofslot 31, as long as some part of inner portion 50 has an outer dimensionthat allows it to be inserted into a portion of slot 31. It should alsobe appreciated that inner portion 50 need not be cylindrical, but mayalternatively have a polygonal shape, such as a square or rectangle, oranother curved shape. Inner portion 50 may also include a mountingfeature for weight slug 42, which may be used to increase the mass ofweight member 34. For example, inner portion 50 may include a mount 56that allows a selected weight slug 42 to be coupled to weight body 36.Mount 56 may be a threaded bore and weight slug 42 may be a threadedweight member that is selected from a plurality of weight slugs 42having different masses and threaded into mount 56.

Spring clip 38 generally includes two arms 58 that are able to flextoward and away from each other. The arms 58 are coupled by a flexure 60and terminate at terminal ends 61 that are spaced from each other todefine a gap 62. Spring clip 38 also includes locking tabs 64 thatextend inward from arms 58. Locking tabs 64 extend through the side wallof clip portion 48 so that they intersect a portion of the bore thatforms locking member mount 52.

Each of arms 58 defines an outer channel 66, that is at least partiallydefined by an outer engagement surface 67, and that receives a portionof the side wall of slot 31. A detent projection 68 is disposed in eachouter channel 66 that is shaped and sized to complement the shape andsize of the detent recesses 44 included in slot 31. The detentprojection 68 is a portion of outer engagement surface 67 that locallyextends outward. Spring clip 38 and slot 31 are shaped so that springclip 38 is biased outward when it is installed in slot 31. As a result,spring clip 38 remains in contact with the edges of slot 31 and createsthe force that causes the detent projections 68 to click into the detentrecesses 44.

The sizes of the channels 66 and detent projections 68 are selected sothat there is minimal clearance between those features and thecomplementary portions of the slot 31. That minimal clearance allows theweight member 34 to move along slot 31 while preventing additionalmovement relative to the walls of slot 31. As a further alternative, theedges of slot 31, including detent recesses 44 may be beveled, and thedetent projections 68 may be tapered so that when the projections engagethe recesses, the weight member 34 is drawn further into slot 31 andagainst the wall of golf club head 30. Spring clip 38 is constructed sothat arms 58 may be spread apart from one another so that clip portion48 of weight body 36 may be inserted through gap 62 and locking tabs 64located in slots 54.

Locking member 40 is included to selectively provide support to springclip 38 to limit inward motion of the locking tabs 64 when the weightmember 34 is positioned at a detent location. Locking member 40 is atapered screw that includes a threaded portion 70 and a tapered tipportion 72. Threaded portion 70 couples with the threaded bore includedin outer portion 46 of weight body 36 and allows a user to advance andretract locking member 40 relative to weight body 36. The tapered tipportion 72 extends into clip portion 48 of weight body 36 and isconfigured to selectively abut an inner surface of locking tabs 64,thereby preventing arms 58 of spring clip 38 from flexing inward towardeach other when the weight member 34 is located at a detent. Lockingmember 40 may also be used to increase the force between the spring clip38 and the walls of slot 31 by advancing the locking member 40 furtherinto weight body 36 after contact is established between locking tabs 64and the tapered tip portion 72. Preferably, the locking member 40 isdimensioned so that it requires between ¼ and ½ of a turn of the lockingmember to disengage the spring clip 38 enough to allow the weight member34 to slide along slot 31.

In general, the weight member 34 is slid in slot 31 by a user graspingouter portion 46 of weight body 36 and sliding the weight member 34.However, because spring clip 38 is configured to slide against the wallsof slot 31 the spring clip 38 may shift in clip portion 48 relative toweight body 36. That shift may cause the spring clip 38 to interact withthe side walls of clip portion 48 and locking member 40 which can causethe arms 58 of spring clip 38 to be pushed outward, or spring clip 38 totwist relative to slot 31, thereby increasing the friction between thespring clip 38 and the slot wall and further hindering the ability toslide the weight member in slot 31. Accordingly, features that preventthe relative motion between the spring clip 38 and the other components,and/or features that prevent the arms 58 of spring clip 38 fromspreading due to the relative motion are included in the construction ofweight member 34. For example, spring clip 38 may include a spacer 74that is incorporated into flexure 60 that limits both the space betweenspring clip 38 and clip portion 48 of weight body 36 and the relativemotion between the two components. Additionally, spring clip 38 may beshaped to limit a gap 76 between clip portion 48 and the terminal ends61 of arms 58, and the surface of clip portion 48 closest to terminalends 61 may include a concavity 78 so that contact between concavity 78and terminal ends 61 draws arms 58 together. Still further, the width oflocking tabs 64 may be selected to closely clear the width of theportions of slots 54 that receive tabs 64 so that the amount ofclearance between the locking tabs 64 and slots 54 dictates the range ofmotion of the spring clip 38 relative to the weight body 36.

In general, slot 31 is only required to be an elongate opening in a wallof the golf club head that includes detent features to interact withweight member 34. It is generally desirable to close the slot so thatthe interior of the golf club head is not exposed, so a slot cover maybe installed to close the interior volume of the golf club head. Thecover may be a thin-walled trough or tray that may be glued inside thegolf club head to cover the slot and to seal the inner cavity of thegolf club head from air, water or other debris.

In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 12-18, a golf club head 90includes a weight member 92 that utilizes spring features and a camshape to lock the weight member 92 into a desired location in a weightmount that is formed by a shallow track 94. The weight member 92 may berotated in the track 94 between a first, unlocked orientation, shown inFIG. 14, in which a side wall 93 of the weight member 92 is spaced fromthe side wall of the track 94, and a second, locked orientation, shownin FIG. 15. When the weight member 92 is in the locked orientation, thecam shape results in the side wall 93 of the weight member 92 abuttingthe side wall 95 of the track 94 and creating an outward, lateral forcebetween track 94 and weight member 92.

Weight member 92 is generally a monolithic weight body that is shaped sothat it functions as a cam in track 94, and includes an outer surface102, an inner surface 104, and side wall 93 extends between outersurface 102 and inner surface 104. In particular, the side wall 93 ofweight member 92 is curved and non-circular so that the outer dimensionvaries with the angular orientation of the weight member 92. In anexample, weight member 92 has an oculiform shape, i.e., is shaped likean eye, so that the overall outer dimension taken through a centroid ofthe weight member varies between a minimum overall outer dimension D₁ of28.5 mm and a maximum overall outer dimension D₂ of 30.0 mm. The sidewall 93 of the weight member 92 is beveled at an angle in a range of 20°to 40°, and more preferably at an angle of about 30° and the weightmember 92 has a thickness of about 4.8 mm. Weight member 92 alsoincludes slots 96 that are generally semi-circular elongate aperturesspaced from the side wall 93 so that the side wall 93 forms a springfeature. Preferably, the slot has a width of between about 1.5 mm andabout 3.0 mm, and is spaced from the side wall 93 by a distance of about1.5 mm at outer surface 102 of weight member 92.

Track 94 is generally formed by angled, or beveled, side walls 95 thatform undercuts on the sides of the weight mount. The side walls 95 ofthe track 94, which are preferably parallel to the side wall 93 ofweight member 92, are beveled at an angle about equal to the angle ofthe side wall of the weight member, in particular at an angle of about30° relative to a bottom wall support surface 104 of track 94. Thecontact between the beveled side walls during rotation of the weightmember 92 relative to track 94 causes weight member 92 to be drawn intothe track 94 so that inner surface 104 is forced against support surface100 of track. The outermost edges of track 94 include ledges 98 thatform overhanging shoulders that are spaced from support surface 100 oftrack 94 by a distance that is greater than the thickness of weightmember 92 to provide a gap so that weight member 92 may slide in track94. Preferably, the distance is greater than the thickness of weightmember 92 by about 0.01 inch to about 0.05 inch. The width of the trackis selected to allow both locking and sliding of the weight member 92.In particular, the width of the track 94 at each elevation above thesupport surface 100 is selected to be between a minimum and a maximumouter dimension of the weight member at each corresponding elevationfrom support surface 100. Additionally, support surface 100 has a valueD_(Lock) that is between the minimum overall outer dimension D₁ and themaximum overall outer dimension D₂ of inner surface 104 of weight member92 so that the weight member may be locked in place by rotation and camaction.

A tool engagement feature 106 is included in the body of weight member92 for locking weight member 92 in track. In particular, tool engagementfeature 106 is a feature that receives a portion of a tool, such as ascrew driver or torque wrench, so that the tool may be used to rotateweight member 92 in track 94.

Alternative embodiments of a weight member utilizing a cam shape to lockthe weight member in place in a shallow track are illustrated in FIGS.19-22, all of which may have a generally oculiform in shape. Referringto FIG. 19, a weight member 110 is similar to the weight member of FIGS.12-17, but does not include the spring features formed by slots. Weightmember 110 generally includes an outer surface 112, an inner surface114, a side wall 116, and a tool engagement feature 118. Weight member110 is shaped to cam against walls of a weight track having beveled sidewalls, such as weight track 94. The side wall 116 of weight member 110is beveled to match the side walls of a complementary track and theweight member 110 locks in the track in the same manner as weight member92 described above.

Referring to FIG. 20, a weight member 120 including a square side wall122 will be described. Weight member 120 includes side wall 122 thatextends between an outer surface 124 and an inner surface 126 and isgenerally square in relation to those surfaces, i.e., generally extendsfrom those surfaces at a 90° angle. The side wall of the weight membermay be square or beveled. Generally, a square side wall provides onlylateral locking force, while a beveled side wall provides both verticaland lateral forces to restrict motion of the weight member relative tothe track. As a result, the depth of the track may be selected toprevent relative motion of the weight member relative to the track in adirection orthogonal to the cam force especially for weights havingsquare side walls.

Weight member 120 also includes optional spring features to further lockthe weight member into place in the locked position of the cam motion.In particular, slots 128 extend through the body of weight member 120between outer surface 124 and inner surface 126 near side wall 122. Theproximity of slots 128 to side wall 122 results in a portion of the sidewall 122 functioning as a spring. Similar to previous embodiments,weight member 120 includes a tool engagement feature 130. As describedabove, the spring features may be used to increase the cam force betweenthe weight member and the track if needed. However, in some embodiments,that additional spring force is not required, and a weight member 132,shown in FIG. 21, has a construction identical to weight member 120without the slots forming the spring features, and because of theotherwise identical construction it will not be described further indetail.

In another embodiment, a weight member 140 includes an alternativeconstruction for spring features and is illustrated in FIG. 22. Weightmember 140 includes an outer surface 142, an inner surface 144, a sidewall 146 and a tool engagement feature 148. The construction of weightmember 140 is similar to the construction of weight member 120 with analternative spring feature. In particular, weight member 140 includesslots 150 that intersect side wall 146, so that side wall 146 isdiscontinuous and so that portions of the body of weight member 140 formcantilevered arms 152 that are configured to flex and to provide springfeatures. All other aspects of the construction of weight member 140 aresimilar to those described above and will not be further described.

In another embodiment, a golf club head 160 includes a weight member 162that is captured by a spring clamp 164 that forms a locking portion of aweight receptacle. Golf club head 160 generally is a hollow body definedby a face 166, a sole 168, a crown, and a skirt 170 that extends betweenthe crown and sole 168, and is preferably manufactured by standardmethods. The golf club head 160 includes at least one receptacle thataccepts and retains the weight member 162, and preferably includes aplurality of weight receptacles.

The spring clamp 164 is configured to be in a naturally clampedconfiguration, which may be described as an “always-on” configuration.By activating the spring clamp 164 with a tool, the clamp opens andreleases the captured weight member 162. A portion of the spring clamp164 is fixed to a portion of the golf club head 160 and another portionof the spring clamp 164 forms a free end. The spring clamp 164 ispreferably integrated into the construction of the golf club head 160,such as by casting the spring clamp 164 into the construction of thebody. Alternatively, the spring clamp 164 may be constructed as aseparate component and fixed on a portion of the golf club head body,such as by welding or mechanical fasteners.

The spring clamp 164 is affixed at the opening of a receptacle builtinto the golf club head 160 to form the locking portion of the weightreceptacle. Spring clamp 164 is generally formed by at least oneflexible arm 171 that includes a fixed end 172 and a free end 174. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the fixed end 172 is fixedly coupled to aportion of sole 168 and at least one free end 174 extends cantileveredfrom fixed end 172. Spring clamp 164 is configured as a C-clamp with aspring integrated into the construction of the flexible arm 171 to keepthe clamp “on,” or closed shut, but it should be appreciated that aseparate spring may be incorporated into the spring clamp, such as byincorporating a torsion spring.

A tool 176 is used to open the clamp to permit weight member 162 to beinstalled in, or removed from, the receptacle. In the illustratedembodiment, tool 176 is threaded into a threaded bore 178 included at aportion of spring clamp 164 near free end 174 of flexible arm 171. Anend of tool 176 extends out of threaded bore 178 and abuts free end 174so that threading tool 176 further into the threaded bore 178 forces theflexible arm to flex outward to open the spring clamp. Unthreading andremoving tool 176 from the threaded bore 178 allows the flexible arm 171to return to its natural position, thereby returning the spring clamp tothe natural clamped configuration. Although a threaded tool isillustrated, the tool may be used to open the clamp by differentmechanisms. For example, the tool may be configured to act as a lever,push-action, pinch, cam, etc. Additionally, it should be appreciatedthat more than one arm of the spring clamp may be constructed to beflexible during use. For example, both arms of the illustrated springclamp 164 may flex when tool 176 is threaded into the threaded bore 178.

Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, the spring clamp may have many alternativeshapes that provide different advantages. For example, a spring clampmay have a polygonal shape to complement a polygonal weight member andthat shape prevents rotation of the weight member in the spring clamp.Referring first to FIG. 25, a spring clamp 180 includes a fixed portion182 and flexible arms 184 that terminate at free ends 186. Spring clamp180 has a generally triangular shape that receives a triangular weightmember. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 26, a spring clamp 190includes a fixed portion 192, and flexible arms 194 that terminate atfree ends 196. Spring clamp 190 has a generally rhomboid shape thatreceives a complementary weight member. It should be appreciated thatthe spring clamp may have many alternative shapes to complement theshape of a accompanying weight member.

While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein fulfill the objectives of the present invention, it isappreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may bedevised by those skilled in the art. Additionally, feature(s) and/orelement(s) from any embodiment may be used singly or in combination withother embodiment(s) and steps or elements from methods in accordancewith the present invention can be executed or performed in any suitableorder. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims areintended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which wouldcome within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf club head including a weight member,comprising: a club head body comprising a plurality of body members thatcombine to define a hollow body, wherein the body members include a facedefining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a skirt, whereinthe sole extends aftward from a lower wedge of the face, wherein thecrown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and wherein theskirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of thebody; a track type weight mount disposed on at least one of the bodymembers, wherein the weight mount defines a perimeter wall of the trackrunning lengthwise along the track type weight mount, and a weightmember that includes a weight body defining a side wall and at least twospring features disposed on perpendicular portions of the side wall,wherein each spring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extendingthrough a thickness of the weight body that intersects the side wall andthe aperture is parallel to a portion of the side wall, wherein theweight mount is sized so that the spring feature abut the perimeter wallof the track type weight mount, and wherein the spring features are atleast partially flexed laterally by the abutment of the spring featurewith the perimeter wall when the weight member is disposed in the weightmount.
 2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the spring feature ofthe weight member is adapted to continuously abut the perimeter wall ofthe track type weight mount at an infinite number of locations along thetrack type weight mount.
 3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein aportion of the weight member at the spring feature has a dimension D₂ ina free state from an outer surface of the spring feature to an outersurface on an opposite side of the weight member, wherein the weightmount has a dimension across a portion of the weight mount that abutsthe spring feature has a dimension D_(LOCK), and wherein D_(LOCK) isless than D₂.
 4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein translation ofthe weight member in the weight mount increases a lateral force betweenthe spring feature and the perimeter wall.
 5. The golf club head ofclaim 2, wherein the weight mount includes a perimeter wall that definesan undercut.
 6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the perimeterwall includes a shoulder overhang, wherein a lower surface of theshoulder overhang is spaced from the bottom wall of the weight mount bya distance that is greater than the thickness of the weight member byabout 0.01 inch to about 0.05 inch.
 7. The golf club head of claim 6,wherein the shoulder overhang is a bridge member that extends across aportion of the weight mount.
 8. The golf club head of claim 1, whereinthe weight member further comprises a flexible locking arm on a surfaceof the weight body perpendicular to the side wall, wherein the springfeatures and the flexible locking arm are oriented to prevent relativemovement between the weight member and the weight mount in threeorthogonal axes.
 9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a height ofeach of the spring features is different than the overall thickness ofthe weight member.
 10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weightmember includes at least three spring features.
 11. A golf club headincluding a weight member, comprising: a club head body comprising aplurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body, whereinthe body members include a face defining a ball-striking surface, asole, a crown, and a skirt, wherein the sole extends aftward from alower wedge of the face, wherein the crown extends aftward from an upperedge of the face, and wherein the skirt extends between the sole and thecrown around a perimeter of the body; a track type weight mount disposedon at least one of the body members, wherein the weight mount defines aperimeter wall of the track running lengthwise along the track typeweight mount, and a weight member that includes a weight body defining aside wall and at least two spring features disposed on perpendicularportions of the side wall, wherein each spring feature is defined by anelongate aperture extending through a thickness of the weight body thatintersects the side wall and the aperture is parallel to a portion ofthe side wall, wherein the weight mount is sized so that the springfeature abut the perimeter wall of the track type weight mount, andwherein the spring features are at least partially flexed laterally bythe abutment of the spring feature with the perimeter wall when theweight member is disposed in the weight mount in an engaged position,and wherein the weight mount is unflexed when it does not come intocontact with the perimeter wall when the weight member is disposed inthe weight mount in a disengaged position.
 12. The golf club head ofclaim 11, wherein the spring feature of the weight member is adapted tocontinuously abut the perimeter wall of the track type weight mount atan infinite number of locations along the track type weight mount. 13.The golf club head of claim 12, wherein at least one weight memberfurther comprises a flexible locking arm on a surface of the weight bodyperpendicular to the side wall, wherein the spring features and theflexible locking arm are oriented to prevent relative movement betweenthe weight member and the weight mount in three orthogonal axes.
 14. Thegolf club head of claim 12, wherein a portion of the weight member atthe spring feature has a dimension D₂ in a free state from an outersurface of the spring feature to an outer surface on an opposite side ofthe weight member, wherein the weight mount has a dimension across aportion of the weight mount that abuts the spring feature has adimension D_(LOCK), and wherein D_(LOCK) is less than D₂.
 15. The golfclub head of claim 14, wherein the outer surfaces of the spring featuresare curved.
 16. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the weightmember includes at least three spring features.
 17. The golf club headof claim 16, wherein the weight mount includes a bridge member thatextends across the weight mount and forms an undercut portion of theweight mount, and wherein at least one of the spring features forms aflexible locking arm that includes a locking tooth, wherein the lockingtooth includes a tapered surface, wherein the tapered surface abuts andslides past a tapered surface on the bridge member when the weightmember is installed in the weight mount.
 18. The golf club head of claim17, wherein the locking tooth includes a ledge adjacent the taperedsurface.